9 Charisma Elf, attention effects? Options

[Jacob_Kerr]

Now I understand Charisma isnt just looks but after playing around with the idea of an NPC elf Face character I started to questions how the average character would react to a maxed charisma, face with first impression and tailor pheromones 3 of the opposite sex? willpower To actually pay attention to what was being said? Or being totally engrossed and missing things going on around them?

I haven't found anything yet dealing with this in the books.

-Jake

[BIG BAD BEESTE]

Erm, drool?

OK, maybe make Willpower tests to keep their minds on business.

[BlueMax]

Now I understand Charisma isnt just looks but after playing around with the idea of an NPC elf Face character I started to questions how the average character would react to a maxed charisma, face with first impression and tailor pheromones 3 of the opposite sex? willpower To actually pay attention to what was being said? Or being totally engrossed and missing things going on around them?

I haven't found anything yet dealing with this in the books.

-Jake

You may have trouble finding the information from the books because Charisma is more "force of presence" in the rules and far less raw body sculpting or attraction. The Pheromones act not only for attraction but for dominance. With the naturally high Charisma, the First Impression and the Pheremones, the NPC will have the force of presence to get anyone's attention.

Even Spirits and AIs.

BlueMax

[Ancient History]

"I can't go to prison, you hear me? You know what happens to pretty elves in prison?"

[Screaming Eagle]

Our GM used to handle the very high charisma Elf as a kind of un-ignorable presence. I was playing the negotiator - a Dwarven mage and though my Cha was a fair bit lower "only 5" my dice pools for most social tests were better, I just could not get them (whoever we were trying to fast talk/ con) to stop wanting to talk to the *D%&$* Elf. People would answer my questions while addressing him, ask him questions while I was trying to be "the frontman" etc. He was just so... fasinating. I'm fairly sure the GM wasn't assigning any penalties to my character, but ya never know.

My charaters willpower was 8 at this point so we more or less assumed I was immune and just found it irritating and anyone acting in a proffesional manner or used to high power negotioations tended to not fall for his charm and grace. It was actually kind of fun: I'd been stomping all over common and low end social and fast talk tests up to his arrival and this was something new to have to roleplay past.

[Cthulhudreams]

The most charismatic people ever do not have physical attractiveness. Martin Luther King was not a hot side of beef. Winston Churchill? Fat lump of lard.

But if you don't think those guys were the R6 charisma types, then boy do I have news for you.

[Adarael]

Like has been said, Charisma is not just your appearance. That's part of it, but only in the same way that a college degree = Logic. It helps, but you don't have to have one to have learned a lot of stuff if you apply yourself. I wouldn't go so far as to say the most charismatic people are NOT attracitve, I just would say it's not a prerequisite.

Whenever people ask what having really high charisma is like, I reference an acquaintance of mine in Los Angeles. She is, without a doubt, the single most attractive person I have ever met, and one of the most attractive people I have *seen*, even counting television, movies, and other media. She's an incredibly magnetic person, as well - either in person or in writing, she is intelligent, considered, and is easily capable of making a room full of people - male or female - pay attention to her. Often it happens by accident.

This means a couple of things. One is that interpersonal life has a tendancy to fall into place so that she gets to do odd and awesome things: fly to other countries to write about events, meet interesting people and influence them, start her own magazine with some friends, shit like that. She also has (accidentally) created something of a cult following for herself. It doesn't mean she doesn't have people problems - we all do - or that things always work out her way - they don't. But it means that a lot of the things other people find hard - convincing people to trust her, do things for her, et cetera... Well, they just happen. It's not hard. People just want to do it. I'm not immune, either: when she talks, I have a hard time looking away. I have a hard time NOT agreeing.

But on the downside, it means she has a tendancy to get stalked. Or to have people on the internet pretend to be her. She gets propositioned with almost mechanical regularity. People are ALWAYS watching her when she's outside.

It's kinda trippy.

[Inncubi]

Adarael hit the nail with his post there.
Charisma is not looks, certainly. Yes charisma 6 types can ugly as hell, and rule nations, raise crowds to a fenzy with a speech. But looks /do/ help... When was the last time you saw the lead singer of a major popular band and he was as ugly as Chruchill or Martin Luther King Jr.?
Looks help depending on how you "sell" your product. Politicians don't have to be gorgeous, but they do have to look like serious, mature responsible people.
Singers/actors need to be hawt.

Now to the task at hand I use the following criteria:

You have a higher than average charisma, then explain what it amounts to: Looks, personality, both?
You have a lower than average charisma, do the same. Except long ago I decided against charisma 1 gilletes with body and strength 6 looking like Angelina Jolie, with Wolverines personality problems. Just won't happen. A Body: 6/Strength: 6 stat means you have Schwarzenneggers build or, at the veyr least, Bruce Lee's. However for the King fu master I'd say he has 5's or a mix of 5 and 4's in those stats. Anyway, charisma is force of personality, but looks do help. The Charisma 9 elf is simply that person you /want/ to emulate because he is so damn cool; he doesn't follow fashion trends, he imposes them as he isn't wrong so much as innovative. He's probably funny too, and probably not arrogant, unless that arrogance makes people simply want to hang out much closer to him and be more like him.


**Oh and Screaming Eagle's Gm did it nicely as well. Certainly. Kudos to him.

[Adarael]

Definitely correct on the politician thing. When was the last time you saw a politician that was taken seriously as a high-level candidate, when they looked like Andy Dick?

Also, it jus occurred to me that in a humorously recursive way, my example for extra-ordinary charisma actually DOES play Shadowrun.

[Inncubi]

Love to meet her. If I didn't live a couple thousand klicks south. *LeSigh*

[Writer]

Just like Strength, you don't need to play Charisma at its full power all the time. If I want to pick up an egg, I don't crush it, even if I can lift 50 pounds with ease. In the same way, if I am buying that egg (at a corporate store, where there is no negotiation), I'm not going to charm the pants off the attendent, unless that is my intent. If you didn't know who Winston Churchill or Bill Clinton was as they walked down the street (without bodyguards), you wouldn't oggle at them. It is when you are interacting with them, when they want to affect your opinion, that you would fall under their sway. Charisma is more than looks (as everyone has said) and bearing. It is also the ability to read and influence people. Manipulating people isn't just about hammering them with smiles, but being able to know what it is they want and how they will react to what you are saying (verbally and non-verbally).

[Draco18s]

A Body: 6/Strength: 6 stat means you have Schwarzenneggers build or, at the veyr least, Bruce Lee's. However for the King fu master I'd say he has 5's or a mix of 5 and 4's in those stats. Anyway, charisma is force of personality, but looks do help.

Reminds me that the system Alpha Omega has has 7 "core" stats and 7 "secondary stats."

Charisma and Strength are core stats and aren't used much at all.

Presence is how you interact with people, in multiple ways. Presence is the average of your Charisma and Strength.

Punching things is Athleticism, which is Strength and Agility.

(Shooting a gun is Physical Acumen; Agility and Conditioning.)

[The Jake]

A solid argument could be made that Charisma is far more useful than Strength.

- J.

[Draco18s]

A solid argument could be made that Charisma is far more useful than Strength.

Intimidate (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Falconer]

You might talk to the player. If he's not taking actions to actively disguise and 'change up' his identity regularly (like facial sculpt power or paste or the like). You might suggest the 'distinctive style' flaw to him. Or if the players being a pain... give him it and explain why. (should be based on in-char actions... not on merely having a high cha).

You just stand out in a crowd... it's a fitting negative quality and isn't too punishing as far as negative qualities go.

[Inncubi]

Nah... no need for the flaw thing, unless he earns it during play via pc actions:-"I leave my mark on the crime scene, a fullbodied holoprojected image of me taking a shower".

Otherwise, just have the NPC's be more willing to interact with him, they remember him and they even call him every now and then to take him out (Watch a movie, a party, etc). They also might want to talk to such an understanding and nice person about their problems. This may enrich the campaign beyond flaw accumulation and can even be used as adventure hooks.

[Tymire]

Hmmm makes you wonder what The Fonz's charisma would be? He probably would have dragons doing his laundry for him (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) .

[BIG BAD BEESTE]

Heh reminds me of a line in the Cyberpunk 2020 rulebook on leadership skill.

Captain James T. Kirk has Leadership 11... but you never will (10 being the system's skill limit)

I've always used Charisma as the personality over looks, but I do include that there has to be some form of beauty incorporated into it too. Normally, I address this with the racial modifiers - elves are more attractive physically (hence their +2 Cha modifer), whereas orks are slighty less so than "normal" humans (hence their -1 Cha modifier). Overall though, it does boil down to personality or the character's aura of approachability/likability. This is why spirits respond to the basic "natural" Charisma of magicians. Otherwise everyone goes off for biosculpting at the local spa-clinic for Attribute boosts and you constantly have to stick a bag on their head to avoid the in-character recognition factors. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

I used to limit the number of buddy-level contacts for new PC's to their Cha Attribute (mainly to prevent the CHA 1 dump-stat samurai tanks buying ten plus buddy-level armourer, street doc, etc. contacts. You could apply a house ruling of players only being able to buy Contacts with a Loyalty no higher than their PC's Cha Attribute at character generation.

To resolve in-game opportunityes then I'd agree with the fact that a high Cha PC would be a lot more memorable - but this couls also work to their advantage if disguised. The NPC would remember the alter-ID of the character and probably be more likely to overlook the PC's natural identity (or other disguised form) in comparisson. I also like the idea of stlkers or contacts who "bug" the PC asking for dates, etc. Can make it inconvinient for the runner when they "get made" by a bumping into random old friend (or person who they recently interacted with, say like the diner waitress or local beat cop) whilst on a run (most likely trying to be incognito too). As for the Tailored Pheromones abuse, just have the runner try to hide/sneak past olfactory enhanced security - guard dogs/barghests are my favourite and high level enhancements might even be detectable by chem-sniffers if programmed right. Hmmm, pheromone activated detonators/tech anyone?